Apparatus for recovering metals from ores and other substances.



L. DION.

APPARATUS POR REGOVERING METALS FROM ORES AND OTHER SUBSTANGBS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.4,1904.

Patented June 22, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ilV

L. DION.

APPARATUS FOR REGOVERING METALS FROM DRES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..4,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented June 22, 1909.

@3nd 71.4110 @litem/MJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LON DION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE -AMERICUSELEGTRO-ERMATIG COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA TERRITORY.

APPARATUS FOR REQDVERING METALS FROM DRES .AND OTHER SUBSTANCES.

' Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented .rune 22, 190e'.

and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Recovering Metals ,from Oresand other Substances, of which the following isa specification.

In the treatment of ores and other substances `to recover or reclaim the metals contained in them, a large percentage of the metal passes off, as is well known, in the form of fumes, gases or vapors, when the ores or other substances containing them are subjected to the required heat to fuse them. The metal or metals thus carried od in the shape of fumes, gases' or vapors I have discovered may be concentrated vor condensed,

and thereby recovered or reclaimed, by sub-V jecting these latter to the action of an electric current supplied throu h appropriate electrodes, the result of whic I have found has been to cause the molecules or other particles of metal contained in or forming the fumes, gases or vapors of each to cohere and form masses of appreciable size, which are then thrown down or precipitated by the action of gravity or otherwise and may be recovered in that form. In thus treating these ores and other substances I have also found that the strengthof the electric current necessary toy the concentration or conf solidation ofthe particles or molecules of one metal may be greater or less than that" required to concentrate or consolidate the particles or molecules of another, as, for instance, the strength of the current necessary to recover the particles of gold may be greater than that required t0 concentrate or consolidate the particles of silver, and so on. In the treatment of ores or other substances containing a diversity of metals, I accordingly avail of this difference-in the stren th of current required to concentrate the di erent materials, as well also as of the difference in the precipitating properties of different materials, to not only concentrate and conoutlined may be carried into effect; and to this end the invention consists, first, in the means whereby the fumes, gases or vapors are arrested and -concentrated or reclaimed; seond, in the means whereb the fumes, gases or vapors arising from t e furnace or other fusing apparatus are so directed or guided as to be rought into contact with the j concentrating mechanism; and third, in various other constructions and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter more fully ap ar.

' eferring to the accompanying drawings,

`which form a part of this specification, F1g' ure 1, is a plan, partly in horizontal section on the line x x of Fi 2, of an apparatus embodying one form o my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the same, taken in the plane y y of Fig. 1, showin lthe casing surrounding'thc hand-hole an dynamo in side elevation, and Fig. 3, an isometric rejection of one of the groups of electro es, with portions of its supporting plates broken away, detached.

the

In all of the figures, like letters of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts.

A indicates a furnace, and B a hopper or receptacle to which the ores or other materials to betreated are or may be supplied.

The furnace A is or may be of any ordinary 0r preferred construction, but in the form of the invention which I have selected for the purpose of illustration it is of the electric type, and is constructed with a suitable base a, which is provided with a rectangular or other appropriatelyshaped chamber a1, and

nected with the hopper or receptacle B,

through the intervention of an appropriate chute-way b1, and receives in its lower portion the inner ends of the electrodes c c1, which project therein. These electrodes may be constructed in various forms. In the drawings however I have shown them as made in the form of plates, with the upper surface of each provided with a shallow clrcular groove c2, extending longitudinally -of the same, as shown in Fig. 1. In some instances a plurality of pairs of these electrodes may be employed, inwhich cases the pairs will be preferably disposed the one above the other, and will act successively upon the ores or other materials as they pass downward between them.` In the present instance however, I

have shown but a single pair and these are so disposedthat they exten inwardl" and downwardl throu h the walls' of the ase ct. and throug the wa ls of the bowl or crucible b, with their innerends in close relationship, but at a short distance a art, in which ositions they are supported y suitable ho ders d1, secured to the ,outerv walls of the base a or chuteway and which, in passing, own- -ward from the chute-way, is deflected in- Ward over their inner ends by means of an inwardly and downwardly extending flan e b2, 'y formed on or secured to the interior 0I the and ulpon them are fused by the action of the' e e bowl or crucible b, as shown. In being thus subjectedl to the action of the electrodes .c c1, the ores or other materials falling ctric current,` and,l passing downward between them in a molten condition, are received within a reservoir or receptacle b3,

withv which the lower portion or bottom of the bowl or crucible bis provided, -and which f is or may be equipped with a suitable dis- 'arisin from the Amolten metal, or metals conthe. trunk-'like' chamber C, where the concencharge 'orificeb* that extends to the outside of the base a, and is or may be provided with a suitable plug -'or other convenient'means b5 whereby it may be opened and closed, to permit of the drawing ofi or the storing up of the molten contents of the reservoir or rece tacle bsasmay be desired.

e the ores and other substances are being thus fused and falling into the reservoir or receptacle b3, thefumes, vapors or'gases taine it or them, or resulting from its or their fusion, will ascend from the electrodes c and c1, and, passing u ward therefrom, will esca e through the o ce b into the chamber a1, w ence they will pass upward through the passage-way a, formed in the furnace A, to

tration and recovery of the metal or metals with which they are laden, or of which they 4ferr'ed.

are composed, `will be effected. In the construction. of this trunk-like chamber C any appropriate form in cross-section may be a opted, and the same made continuous throughout or built u from sections as pre- In the form o the invention which I have selected for the purpose of illustration however, it is constructed in rectangular form in cross-section, and is made up from a number of sections'inited vat their ends by bolts d, with one of the ends of the chamber connected'with the wallsof the passage-way the l a2, and the other with a vessel or receptacle l D. With the trunk-like chamber C constructed as thus described,4 it `receives the means b which the concentration and reelectrodes connected with a dynamo or other source of electric supply, and which acting upon the fumes, gases, or vapors, as they pass between theml in Vtraveling along. the

chamber C, causes the molecules or particlesv of the metal containing them, when composed of a single metal, or the molecules or particles of each, when com osed of a plurality of metals, to be mutua y attracted and thereby l to cohere into masses of appreciable size.v

The electrodes by means of w ch the current 0r currents of electricity may be thus applied may be constructed in various forms. n the drawings however I have shown each grou as made up from a number of corrugate sheets of metal or other materialof the' requisite kind or kinds disposed in'parallel relationshi4 and secured at one of their edges to a base p ate e, which is or may be formed of some non-conducting material, with the positive or members f arranged between, and in alternation with, the negative or elements f1 thereof. As thus constructed, these electrodes extend down into the trunk'- like chamber() to-near the bottom thereof, through suitable orices g formed in its upper walls, in whichpositions they are held in 'approximately parallel relationship to itssi e walls by lates h, to which they are secured by suitab e screws h1, and which in turn. are secured to the u per surface Aofthe trunklike chamberC y a propriate 'screws h.

ico

When but a single meta 1s to be concentrated Y or recovered from the fumes, vapors or gases arising from the molten-metal, then only a single group of these electrodes will be required. On the other hand, when aplurahty of metals are to'be concentrated and recov. lered therefrom, then a plurahty of grou s of these electrodes will be necessitated, an the metals orl materials out of which each of the groups are formed will be of the requisite character and the'currentemplloyed of the appropriate strength to effect t e concentra. j v

tion and recovery o f the particular metal upon which they are designed to thus operate. Inl the drawings, however, have shown four of these grou s, 4of whichthe` rst, or group E, is designe to act upon and concentrate one metal, as, ,for instance, gold,I and, in this case, the positive electrode will be made of zinc and the ne ative electrode of German silver, or .both e ectrodes may be made of gold; the next, or group E1, to act upon and concentrate another metal, as, for instance, silver, and in suchcase `both the positive and negative electrodes will be made ing throug of silver; the third, or group E2, to act upon and concentrate still another, as, for instance,

copper, and in this case a zinc positive and copper negative electrode'may e made use of, and so on, the fourth or Uroup E3 acting upon and concentrating a still further metal, as, for instance, (platinum, in which case both the positive an negative electrodes will or may be constructed of platinum; but this arrangement is only illustrative, and a greater or less number of grou s may be employed, as a greater or less num er of metals are to be concentrated and recovered, and a single group, or a plurality of groups, may be made use of in connection with each metal, as preferred. i.

With the electrodes constructed as above explained, the positive or -ielements' f of each group are preferably connected at each of their ends by a suitable conductor i, which is ewise connected with a binding post il. In like manner the ne tive or elements f1 of each group are sim' arly connected at each of their ends by a conductor 7c, which, in turn, is also connected with a binding post k1; and as thus joined the various groups may be connected with a dynamo F, or other source of electric supply, either in multiple or in serial circuit, as preferred. In the draw ings however, I have shown them connected therewith in serial circuit, the positive elements f of all the groups being connected by suitable conductors '1, while the negative elements f1 of all the groups are connected by similar conductors m, with the positive elements of group E, connected with the positive pole of the dynamo F, through a` conductor fn, and the negative elements of the group E3 connected with the negative pole thereof, through a conductor o. As thus connected the fumes, gases or va ors arising from the molten metal in the bow or crucible l; lwill pass through the chamber from one end thereof to the other; and in order to insure of their thus traveling Jalong the same, I make use of an inlet pipe through which a current of air may be supp 'ed from a blower or other appropriate source. In thus passthe trunk-like chamber, these fumes, gases or vapors will contact with the surfaces of the electrodes themselves, or be vforced across the lines of force extending be-4 tween them,with the consequent result that the metals appropriate to and` acted upon by the diderent electrodes will be concentrated vinto particles or massesof ap reciable size,

and either made to adhere to t e negative or electrodes f1, or thrown down in that form by the joint action of gravity and of the current of air projected against them through the'inlet pipe i When a num er of metals are to be concen tratedfor recovered., and a plurality of groups of electrodes are employed for the purpose, the variation in the strength of the current ing the requisite strength of output. On the other hand,when a number of metals are to be concentrated and recovered, and a plurality of groups of electrodes are employed 1n serial circuit with a single dynamo for the purpose, then this variation in the strength of the current appropriate to each group may be effected by introducing into the conductors Z and m between the different groups, suitable resistances Z1 and m1 respectively, as shown. The strength of the current employed in the concentration of the various metals may be varied within wide limits, and may extend from a current of one volt4 upward. With the strength 'of one volt, some concentration may be edected, but the amount of concentration may be increased by increasing this voltage, and with a strength of current of 110volts a highly eflicient concentration may be accompllshed. From the chamber C the metal or metals thus concentrated andrecovered, will be carried forward by the action Aof the current of air and be de-v posited in the vessel D. This vessel D,

which is or may be of any approved form, is

with a suitable gate g2, by means of which it Y may be closed, and access afforded to its interior when desired, to remove the metal or other materials therefrom. The upper en larged portion g2, on the other hand, is preferably formed with a detachable top g3, and receives between this top and its own upper end a suitable filter or screen H, which extends across transversely of its interior. This filter or screen may be of any suitable material, but, as here shown, it is composed of -a sheet of carbon, and, secured to, or mounted upon, a suitable frame H1, is suported upon a ledge s, formed by counterlioring the upper end of the upper enlarged ortion g1, or otherwise, being held clamped 1n that relationship by the detachable top g3 which is securedwithin the upper end of the enlarged upper portion by appropriatescrew threads s1, with which'the parts g1 and g3 are respectively provided. With the vessel D constructed as thus described, the upper detachable portion 3, is o'r may be provided or gases contained within .the vessel D may be exhausted, and an air or gis current with an air pump y means of which the air l `This pump is or may be the usual construction, and is shown asv provided with an appropriate cylinder t, withinwhich Vis arranged a suitable piston, that is operated from an appropriate shaft t1, through the intervention of a crank t2 and connection t3.

` -As thus equipped the exhaustion of the air and gases passing to the vessel D throughthe chamber C is effected, and any particles of metal held in mechanical suspension therein separated'out from them 'and arrested by the filter or screen H, from the surface of which it may be afterward removed by scraping or otherwise.- While thus the concentration and recoveryl of the metal or metals arisingin the shape of fumes, .gases or vapors from the molten mass may be thus effected bythe group or groups of electrodes 'and the filter or screen H, the loss ofthe electric current by conduction throu h thechamber C and vessel D is prevente by an insulating. lining r,

` with which their interiors are respectively i' provided In likemanner the escape of this current through the iilter or screen H and the air pump is also -prevented by suitable insulating material r1, such,'fo'r instance, as

glass interposed between them and the parts of the vessel D in or'upoI-which they `are su p orted..

1th the parts constructed and organized as above explained, and an appro riate current or currents of electricity supp `ed to the different electrodes, the operation ofthe apparatus 1s as follows: The ore or other material to be treated is supplied to the hopper or -receptacle B, whence-it passes downward through the chute-way b1 into the bowl or crucible l), where it falls upon the electrodes c c1 and, becoming'fused thereby, the molten material resultin therefrom fa ls downward into the receptac e b3,- from which it may be removed from time to time through the discharge oriiice b4. y In being thus fused a portion of the metal or metals contained in the ores or other materials will arise in the form of fumes, gases or va ors, and, passing outward through the'or' ce b into the chamber a', will travel upward through the passagewai a? and 'through the trunk-like .chamber C to the vessel D. In thus traveling through the chamber C'these fumes, ases or vapors will be either brought direct y into contact with the elementsof the different electrodes,

lower end. If the fumes, gases or vapors' l cadeau thus treated contained but a single metal, only the electrodes that are/formed of the materials appropriate to that metal will'act upon it to concentrate and recover it. On the other hand, if they contain or are formed from a number of metals, then the electrodes which are formed of materials that are a propriate to each, and are energized by t e current of electricity of the proper strength, will act upon its respective meta and thereby concentrate and recover. it, allowing the other or others to pass to its or their appropriate electrodes for concentration and recovery by them, and so on. Thus, as will be seen, by making the electrodes of materials thatare appro riate to and active upon the different meta s contained in or forming the fumes, vgases or vapors treated, and employing an electric current of the re uisite strength for each, not only may the di erent metals contained in these fumes, gases nor vapors be cncentrated, but the particles or masses of each, thereby segregated from the other or others, while any articles that may be concentrated and held 1n mechanical suspension, will be se arated out therefrom and arrested by the y fumes, gases, o'r vapors are drawn'upward through the same by the suction pump, and

these particles also recovered thereby.

While in the drawings I have shown the current for energizing the electodes E, E'1 ,.E, dynamo., I

E3, as supplied from anV ordina do not limit myself thereto, as 1t is obvious that I may employ in place thereof any other source of electric supply, and may make usel of either frictional, voltaic or any other form of current for energizing them, as preferred. Again, while in the drawings I have shown,

and in the foregoing described, a form of electric furnace which maybe conveniently employed, I make no claim to such furnace ter orv screen H, as the herein, as the same forms the subject of a separate application which was led in the United States Patent Office April 30th, 1906, and serially numbered 314,337, the same beliov ing a division of the lpresent ap lication Again, while in the foregoing I ave set forth the materials which may be employed in the construction ofthe electrodes, I do notv restrictmyself thereto, but reserve to myself the right to employ an other materials there-for which may be a apted to the purpose. n.

Having now described,` my invent1on,'and specified certain of the ways in which 1t is orj may be carriedinto eiect, I claim and desire to secure by `LettersPatent of the Ilm'ted n `1. -An a paratus for concentrating and recovering t e metalor metals from the fumes, gasesforjvapors arisingy from the fusing of 'such metals; 'comprising a chamber. through,

which these fumes,` gases. or vapors are passed,y coperatlng positive and negative electrodes arranged in such chamber between which such fumes, gases or vapors are caused to travel and by which they are subjected to the action of anelectric current, means by which al current of electricity may be supplied to such electrodes, and a vessel or receptacle into which ,the fumes, gases or vapors are passed after parting with such met al or metals, and from which the residuemay be discharged, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a chamber adapted to receive the fumes, gases or vapors arising from molten metal or metals, electrodes vbetween which these fumes, gases or va ors are caused to pass arranged in such cham er, and means for supplyinga current of electricity to said electrodes, of a vessel into which the residue of the fumes, gases or vapors are delivered after passing between the electrodes, a filter arranged in such vessel and means by which this residue of the fumes, gases or vapors are forced through such lter and discharged, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a furnace for receiving and fusing ores and other substances, a chamber connected with such furnace and adapted to receive the fumes, gases or vapors arising from the metal or metals contained in such ores and other substances,

` electrodes between which these fumes, gases or vapors are caused to passarranged within such chamber, and means for supplying these electrodes with a current of electricity, of a vessel into which the residue of these fumes, gases or vapors are delivered after Vpassing between the electrodes, a lter arranged in said vessel, and means whereby the residue of the fumes, gases or vapors dehvered to the vessel are forced through such vfilter and discharged, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a chamber adapted to receive the fumes, ases or vapors arlsmg from molten meta or metals,

groups of electrodes between each of which groups these fumes, gases Aor vapors, are caused to pass arranged in such chamber and each constructed of materials that are active upon a different metal, and means for supplying a current of electricity to each of such groups, of a vessel into which the residue of the fumes, gases or vapors are delivered,

after passing between the groups of electrodes, and means whereby this residuemay be discharged from such vessel, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a chamber -adapted to receive the fumes, gases or vapors arising from the fusion of metal or metals, groups of electrodes between each ofl which groups these fumes, gases or vapors are caused to pass arranged within such chamber with each of these groups constructediof materials that are active upon a different and a particular metal, and means for supplying a current of electricity of a different strength to each of these groups, of a vessel into which the residue of the fumes,

gases or vapors are-delivered after passing between the different groups of electrodes, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a chamber adapted to receivethe fumes, gases or vapors arising from the fusion of metal or metals, groups of electrodes between each of which groups these fumes, gases or vapors are caused to pass arranged within such chamber, and a source of electric supply, of electrical connections between such groups of electrodes and the source of electric supply and between the different groups, and resistances interposed in the connections between the groups, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of February, 1904.

' LEON DION. Vlitnesses:

WM. I-I. ArrLE'rolT, R. F. SWEENY. 

